Second Judge Sworn In
Wilfong celebrates with friends, family

The Inter-Mountain photos by Edgar Kelley Jaymie Godwin Wilfong, left, was sworn in as the new Division 2 circuit judge for Randolph County during a swearing-in ceremony Friday at Graceland Inn. Standing next to Wilfong was her husband, Matt. She was sworn in by 19th Circuit Judge Shawn David Nines.
ELKINS — Jaymie Godwin Wilfong was sworn in as the new Division 2 judge for Randolph County during a ceremony Friday morning at Graceland Inn on the campus of Davis & Elkins College.
Wilfong, who formerly served as both a circuit judge and a family court judge in Randolph County, was elected to her new position during the Primary Election in May.
In the spring of 2023, House Bill 3332 created new judicial circuits for the state and assigned the number of judges each circuit would have. Under the new law, Randolph was one of the counties to receive a second judge.
Before being sworn in by Judge Shawn David Nines, who presides over the Nineteenth Judicial Circuit in Barbour and Taylor counties, Wilfong thanked Judge David Wilmoth, who currently serves as the 12th District Circuit Court judge and will be sworn in next week as Randolph County’s Division 1 judge. She also thanked her family members and others attending the ceremony.
“I want to thank my husband Matt because this position is a family commitment,” she said. “When the opportunity to run for this position came open, I asked Matt and we talked about it together and made a decision together. Only by his consent and his agreement did I agree to run. So I thank him for that. I would like to thank my mom, Janet Godwin, for being here, and my dad who must be here in spirit, Joe Godwin.”

Jaymie Godwin Wilfong is greeted by her uncle Dick Hamrick, left, and her aunt, Donna Hamrick, before being sworn-in as a Circuit Court Judge Friday morning.
Wilfong is set to assume the role of the county’s second Circuit Court judge on Jan. 1.
Nines offered Wilfong advice during the ceremony.
“This is going to be a monumental task. There certainly is a need here for two judges and I think the role is going to be filled extraordinarily well by Judge Wilfong,” Nines said. “I have talked about the need for another Circuit Judge here in this circuit and this is a prestigious position, one that takes a great deal of responsibility.
“Always remember, this is my advice, take it for what it’s worth, everyone that comes before you, no matter how big or how small, it may not be the biggest thing on your docket that day, but most likely it is the biggest thing going on for those in front of you. I have no doubt you will hold that to be true and take the time and effort to make sure everybody has their day in court, which is the most important thing that we do. Mrs. Wilfong, it is my honor to be able to swear you in here today.”
Elkins attorney Scott Curnutte then spoke about Wilfong and what it means to have a second judge in the county.
“Jaymie is not being inducted into a Hall of Fame for past accomplishments, she’s being sworn in because we the people have chosen her to exercise the awesome power of being a Circuit Judge,” Curnutte said. “We have a lot of opportunities in Randolph County, and we have a lot of challenges, but it certainly seems to me and a lot of other folks that we can’t move forward with some of those until we deal with the surge of drugs.
“The fact of the matter is that while certainly the court system is not the only institution tasked with dealing with that problem, it certainly plays a unique role because virtually all the threads of that problem run through the court system. So they challenge you to exercise that power to help address the problem of drugs in the community. Jaymie certainly has the experience to do that, as demonstrated during her first term as Circuit Judge, when she instituted one of the first drug court programs in this part of the state.
“That’s what we got last time, what do we get this time?” Curnutte said. “I challenge you, Jaymie, as you go forward and exercise this sacred trust that we have entrusted to you, that you lead us, inspire us, and that you lead us forward as we try to deal with that problem. We certainly, I think, have picked the right person for that job.”
A new courtroom for the Division 2 judge is currently being constructed inside the James F. Cain Courthouse Annex in Elkins.